ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Jan. 6, 2008)-- Bryce Ledford overtook Bud Cauley in a back-and-forth battle by matching his scores over the final two days at the New Year's Invitational to take a one-stroke victory at the St. Petersburg Country Club, finishing at 6-under-par 281.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior opened the tournament with an even-par 72, and was in the red for the next three rounds.

The final round saw Ledford open the day trailing Vanderbilt's Hudson Johnson by a stroke, followed by Bud Cauley of Jacksonville, two strokes back.

Cauley started steady with 11 straight pars, drawing even with Johnson, while Ledford made three bogeys on the front nine.

Momentum shifted at the 15th hole when Ledford's tee shot narrowly avoided the water, landing just inside the hazard marker. His approach landed on the back fringe, where he rolled a long birdie putt into the hole to take a share of the lead with Cauley, who had made bogey..

Ledford was on in two on the par-5 16th, and ended up rolling in a four-foot eagle putt to take the lead as Cauley birdied and Johnson parred.

Ledford gave back the lead on the next hole with a birdie, setting the scene for a dramatic finish.

Once again, the long-hitting Ledford was on in two on the finishing par-5, but his eagle attempt was well short, allowing Cauley to pitch up inside his ball. Cauley's birdie attempt lipped out, however, and Ledford rolled in an eight-foot birdie for the victory.

In the mid-am division, Jonathan Mathias won with a score of 3-over 291.

In the senior flight, Doug Root held a sizable lead from the point he carded a second-round 72 until the tourney was complete. He finished at 7-over 295, 13 strokes better than his nearest competition, Jim Holbrook.

Full results from the 6718-yard, par-72 St. Petersburg Country Club follow:

Name

Rd.1

Rd.2

Rd.3

Rd.4

Tot.

1

Ledford

Bryce

72

70

68

71

281

2

Cauley

Bud

74

69

68

71

282

3

Strickler

Will

70

75

69

69

283

3

Johnson

Hudson

70

72

67

74

283

5

Uihlein

Peter

73

73

70

68

284

6

Hale

Stephen

72

74

68

71

285

7

Curran

Jon

72

73

72

69

286

8

Barlow

Zach

75

76

71

67

289

8

Holmes

David

72

72

77

68

289

8

Kennedy

Chris

72

73

72

72

289

8

Von Borsig

Conrad

72

73

71

73

289

12

Fuchigami

Takeshi

74

73

71

72

290

12

Pettitt

Philip

72

73

72

73

290

14

Mathias

Jonathan

73

76

70

72

291

14

Winings

Andy

73

73

72

73

291

14

Ford

Charlie

75

69

69

78

291

17

Dennis

Jeff

76

79

70

67

292

17

Brandon

Seth

72

76

71

73

292

17

Mount

Jonathan

74

70

75

73

292

17

Coconis

Bo

74

74

70

74

292

17

Hoffman

Matt

71

75

72

74

292

22

Bunn

Brandon

75

75

75

68

293

22

Jensen

Michael

73

77

71

72

293

24

Butler

Duke

81

71

72

71

295

24

Wilson

Peter

73

72

74

76

295

24

Martin

Alex

74

74

70

77

295

24

Smith

Wills

71

75

71

78

295

28

Whalen

Billy

75

75

71

75

296

28

Cole

Spencer

80

72

67

77

296

30

McAndrew

David

75

75

76

71

297

30

McConnell

Miles

73

75

77

72

297

30

Mindirgasov

Andrey

72

77

75

73

297

30

Barr

Cale

72

73

76

76

297

30

Brown

Tyler

71

74

75

77

297

34

Main

Gregor

77

77

70

74

298

34

Yamane

Kent

73

76

74

75

298

36

Smith

Thomas

75

77

74

73

299

37

Belden

Brian

77

76

74

73

300

37

Cosat

Ross

76

72

76

76

300

37

Barbosa

Mike

75

74

74

77

300

37

Mathiassen

Thomas

75

74

73

78

300

41

Fox

John

76

81

77

67

301

41

Rhodes

Andrew

79

76

71

75

301

41

Smith

Craig

77

71

77

76

301

44

Coontz

Thad

76

81

75

70

302

44

Parker

Tommy

78

74

75

75

302

44

Duthie

John

74

76

73

79

302

47

Gleixner

Robert

81

74

73

75

303

47

Reardon

William

78

74

73

78

303

47

May

Justin

76

74

73

80

303

50

Leppo

Josh

78

76

77

73

304

50

Kania

James

77

77

74

76

304

50

Galloway

Matthew

81

76

70

77

304

50

Mullhaupt

Nick

78

75

72

79

304

50

Schmidt

David

75

74

75

80

304

55

Fowler

David

77

78

75

75

305

55

Meier

Justin

79

75

72

79

305

57

Blann

Jordan

82

75

73

76

306

57

Ralph

Travis

78

76

76

76

306

57

Nix

Morgan

78

75

76

77

306

57

Smith

Nicholas

84

70

72

80

306

60

Gandy

Jason

81

79

73

74

307

60

Beehler

John

81

79

73

74

307

60

Coxe

Travis

78

77

72

80

307

64

Keane

Jonathan

77

79

75

77

308

65

Mullhaupt

Chris

79

78

78

74

309

65

Ebert

John

82

74

78

75

309

65

Troy

Donnie

80

76

75

78

309

65

Yow

Scott

78

81

70

80

309

65

Yow

Scott

78

81

70

80

309

65

Downs

Eric

71

80

76

82

309

71

Stough

Kyle

78

81

74

77

310

72

Brant

Mark

79

75

78

79

311

73

Thorson

Erick

78

84

72

78

312

73

Kerper

Richard

78

78

74

82

312

75

Pike

Brandon

85

77

78

74

314

75

Volpenhein

Alex

77

81

80

76

314

75

Robinson

Zach

79

86

72

77

314

75

Bellville

Ben

79

80

76

79

314

75

Baldwin

Spencer

77

79

78

80

314

75

Shaw

Brent

84

76

73

81

314

81

McMahon

Conor

87

83

71

74

315

81

Eggimann

Bobby

78

78

81

78

315

81

Boggini

Andy

79

78

78

80

315

84

Sierra

Stewart

84

78

79

75

316

84

Imura

Kazuki

81

77

80

78

316

84

Fiedler

Trevor

80

78

78

80

316

87

Young

Michael

84

76

75

83

318

89

White

Lee

85

77

76

81

319

90

Davis

Amory

81

79

82

78

320

90

Clark

Calvin

85

75

81

79

320

92

Dumala

Daniel

87

78

82

74

321

93

Barker

Kirk

88

78

79

77

322

93

Fuqua

Ben

87

78

78

79

322

95

Hare

Ransom

82

86

76

79

323

96

Merrell

Kodi

79

87

80

78

324

96

Jensen

Chris

81

83

79

81

324

98

Ruel

Daniel

82

86

80

77

325

98

Wolfe

Freddy

80

82

81

82

325

99

Park

Paul

94

76

75

81

326

101

Weaver

Ross

83

85

78

81

327

102

Cuitino

Ryan

76

87

85

83

331

103

Sweany

Michael

85

81

86

80

332

104

Powell

Phil

81

85

87

81

334

105

Ford

Phil

83

77

87

93

340

106

Patwari

Abe

95

78

86

83

342

107

Quintessenza

Jim

90

88

87

92

357

108

Martino

Rich

102

90

95

101

388

109

Billings

Greg

98

94

97

100

389

WD

Lewis

Sam

77

79

77

WD

WD

WD

Holmes

Michael

83

93

82

WD

WD

WD

Kennedy

John

88

92

89

WD

WD

WD

Mesagno

Bruce

87

86

92

WD

WD

WD

Byrd

James

86

75

WD

WD

WD

WD

Lorenzano

Joe

94

WD

WD

WD

WD

WD

Freeman

Hagen

112

101

WD

WD

WD

WD

Melnyk

Dalton

80

WD

WD

WD

WD

SENIOR

Name

Rd.1

Rd.2

Rd.3

Rd.4

Tot

1

Root

Doug

78

72

73

72

295

2

Holbrook

Jim

79

77

77

75

308

3

Dollenberg

Eric

81

77

79

75

312

4

McBride

Sandy

79

79

78

82

318

5

Goff

Daley

86

84

82

77

329

6

Williams

Dennis

86

84

79

81

330

7

Douglass

Bob

86

84

82

82

334

8

DeMott

Ken

88

85

80

83

336

9

Hess

Bruce

90

85

85

82

342

10

Roark

Earl

87

83

86

87

343

11

Gerometta

Paul

85

92

82

85

344

12

Lucente

Vinny

91

91

82

86

350

13

Bartoszek

Don

91

88

85

92

356

14

Wharton

Bob

94

89

89

94

366

WD

Hope

Richard

80

77

77

WD

WD

Mid-Am

Name

Rd.1

Rd.2

Rd.3

Rd.4

Tot.

Mathias

Jonathan

73

76

70

72

291

Butler

Duke

81

71

72

71

295

McConnell

Miles

73

75

77

72

297

Coontz

Thad

76

81

75

70

302

Schmidt

David

75

74

75

80

304

Beehler

John

81

79

73

74

307

Yow

Scott

78

81

70

80

309

Kerper

Richard

78

78

74

82

312

Shaw

Brent

84

76

73

81

314

Eggimann

Bobby

78

78

81

78

315

Boggini

Andy

79

78

78

80

315

Sierra

Stewart

84

78

79

75

316

Barker

Kirk

88

78

79

77

322

Weaver

Ross

83

85

78

81

327

Sweany

Michael

85

81

86

80

332

Powell

Phil

81

85

87

81

334

Ford

Phil

83

77

87

93

340

Quintessenza

Jim

90

88

87

92

357

Martino

Rich

102

90

95

101

388

Billings

Greg

98

94

97

100

389

ABOUT THE New Year's Invitational

Historic invitational golf tournament that
originated
on the Lakewood golf course in 1927. This
same
amateur invitational tournament -- which
attracts
top Florida amateurs and a strong group of out-of-
state players as well --
continues,
unbroken, each year although the club
name was
later changed to St. Petersburg Country
Club.